


22. Fever

by love_write_edit_sleep



Series: Magnetization Of A Family (DBH 31 Fic Challenge) [22]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Sick Character, WALL-E (2008) References, tw: scars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-05
Updated: 2018-08-05
Packaged: 2019-06-22 12:45:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15582300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/love_write_edit_sleep/pseuds/love_write_edit_sleep
Summary: Connor and Hank talk about heartbreak. Gavin is sick, but refusing to admit it. Connor, Richard and Hank all help to look after him, and Gavin and Richard dig deeper into their own feelings for each other.





	22. Fever

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I am so sorry for how long this took... I made it a bit longer so hopefully that'll earn some forgiveness?  
> I've also half-written the next one, so it should be posted later today.

“So… You and Markus still flirting?” Hank asked, leaning over his desk and smirking at Connor. 

“Markus has a boyfriend.” Connor explained, not looking up from his terminal. “North and Markus ended their relationship shortly after the revolution, as they both wanted different things from the relationship. Markus is now dating Simon.”

“Shit, I’m sorry, Kid… You should have said, we could have drowned our sorrows in ice-cream… I know you liked him…”

“He is happy, and I am happy for him.”

“Bullshit, Son.” Hank scoffed. “That’s what you want to tell yourself. What you mean is that you’re jealous as hell and want to cry.”

“I think you misunderstand. Markus was never a love interest of mine. Sure, I… considered what life would be like if he and I were romantically involved, but his is a good friend of mine, and I support him and Simon.” Connor smiled. “He’s merely a good friend.”

“So… you didn’t have a crush on Robo-Jesus?”

“I do not believe so, no.”

“Oh. Well…  _ Matthew  _ seems to like you.” Connor jolted upright, shocking the detective, and turned to finally face Hank before turning away. Hank blinked. “Connor?”

“Yes?”

“Why has your mood ring gone  _ pink _ ?”

“It has not!” Connor stood abruptly, slapping his hand over his LED. “I think I would like coffee now!”

“But-”

“Yes, that is what I would like.” Connor interrupted before walking off in the direction of the break room. Hank rolled his eyes with a smirk.

Fucking androids.

* * *

Gavin covered his mouth with his fist as he coughed violently, catching Richard’s attention. The android leaned over the space between his and Gavin’s desks.

“Your body temperature is 39°C. That’s 2°C above normal.” Richard stated.

“I’m fine.” Gavin muttered, not looking up from his case files. “Just a cold, everyone’s got one.”

“But-”

“I’m fine, shut up.”

“Alright.” Richard backed down and continued scrolling through his terminal. He glanced back at Gavin.

The man was awfully pale, and despite his temperature and the sweat on his forehead, he was shivering. His coughing had gotten gradually worse through the morning and, despite Gavin’s best efforts, he really didn’t seem like he was concentrating.

Suddenly, Gavin stood.

“I need a coffee.” He growled before walking around his desk, almost walking into Connor. Connor tilted his head.

“I am going to make coffee; Would you like me to bring one to you?” Connor asked. “You seem tired.” Gavin opened his mouth to answer, but was suddenly distracted by the wave of nausea that hit him. He swayed suddenly, his vision going dark around the edges, until he collapsed completely. Connor caught him.

“Hank! I need help!” Connor cried, lowering himself and Gavin to the floor, his LED red, mirroring Richard’s. Hank rushed over, kneeling beside them and placing a hand to the drowsy detective’s forehead.

“Shit, he’s fucking boiling.” Hank muttered. “Richard, go tell Fowler he’s sick.”

“Alright.” Richard nodded and did as he was told. Connor gathered Gavin in his arms and picked him up bridal style, carrying him to the breakroom and out of the center of attention. Gavin stirred.

“Richard…?”

“It is Connor. Richard is informing Fowler that you are unfit to work today.”

“But-”

“Don’t be a hard-ass, just accept you’re fucking sick.” Hank smirked. Gavin growled.

“Fowler will not let Gavin go home until two substitute officers come in. They will be here shortly.” Richard announced as he entered the room. Hank scowled.

“I’m not going home, fuck off!” Gavin snarled, fighting everyone off by shoving them all back. He stood, determined, only to drop before he’d even stood completely upright. Richard caught him.

“You are going home and I am going with you. You are unfit to work.”

“But I’m so close, Richard…” Gavin whispered, his voice suddenly as fragile as he looked. “I got to crack this Red Ice case, I’m so close…”

“You cannot in this condition.”

“No- No! Richard, please!” Gavin pleaded uncharacteristically before suddenly coughing, gasping his way through his fit. Hank calmed him before encouraging him to continue. “What if someone else dies because I was just sick? What if some teenage kid gets high while I’m lying in bed doing nothing? I can prevent that!”

“Gavin.” Hank spoke up. “Why is this case so important to you?”

“His Father.” Connor spoke up before turning to Gavin. “He used Red Ice, and it made him violent.”

“He didn’t just use it, he fucking made it and dealt it out. I watched him tear an android apart for Thirium once. For all I know, it could have been fucking deviant… He murdered a fucking android to make Red Ice and I did nothing. I’ll be fucked if I stand by and do nothing again.” 

“I’ll take it.” Hank muttered. Gavin blinked.

“Fucking  _ what _ ?”

“I’ll take the goddamn case  _ if  _ you get some fucking rest.”

“You cannot get better than Lieutenant Anderson when it comes to Red Ice cases.” Connor beamed.

“You’d better fucking solve it, Anderson…”

“Oh, I will, asshole.” Hank smirked, ruffling Gavin’s sweat-soaked hair. “Why do you think I became the Youngest Lieutenant in Detroit?”

* * *

After another half an hour, the two officers arrived, meaning Richard could take Gavin home. He’d thrown the man over his shoulder and carried him out to Gavin’s car, gently lowering him into the passenger seat before driving him back to their apartment.

Gavin was asleep when they arrived, not that Richard minded. He needed all the rest he could get. He gathered Gavin as carefully as he could, which was pretty damn careful considering he was a state-of-the-art android, and carried him inside.

“Good morning, Felicia.” Richard greeted the tortoiseshell cat that brushed up against his leg. “I am sorry, I cannot give you my undivided attention right now. Gavin is not well. Your presence may be appreciated in the bedroom when he awakens, though.”

Felicia followed the android into the bedroom, where Richard lay Gavin down on the bed. The detective stirred.

“The fuck…?”

“You fell asleep as I was driving you home.” Richard explained. “You are in your bedroom. Lie still, I am going to remove your hoodie and shirt.”

“The fuck?! Why?!” Gavin sat up, too quickly, it seemed, as he brought his hand to his forehead and grimaced. 

“Because,” Richard pushed Gavin back down and began to remove the items of clothing. “Your body temperature is 39.5°C; 2.5°C above normal.”

“I’m fine!” Gavin growled, hugging himself to prevent the android from taking his hoodie off. Richard sighed and sat beside Gavin.

“This is about your scars again, isn’t it?” Richard knew he was right when Gavin didn’t respond. “My jacket is thin and light, as it was designed for durability. If you remove your hoodie, you can wear my jacket. That is my final offer before I forcibly remove your hoodie.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time.” Gavin smirked, but it fell when he saw how serious Richard’s expression was. “Fine… Gimme the damn jacket…”

* * *

Several hours later found the two lying atop the covers, Gavin’s head resting on Richard’s chest and Richard sat against the headboard, one arm around Gavin, the other holding a computer tablet in front of them both. Felicia curled up on Gavin’s lap and purred as the sick man stroked her fur.

“Do you need anything?” Richard suddenly asked. He’d set his internal timer to remind him to ask every 10 minutes. 

“Shut up and watch the damn movie.” Gavin scowled.

“I fail to understand this movie.” Richard confessed.

“What? Dude, it’s Wall-E! What’s not to get?” Gavin asked. “He’s, like, the first deviant.”

“I do not understand why he is going to such lengths to bring the humans back to Earth when the humans are perfectly content in space.”

“Thing is, Richard, us humans are assholes. We fuck shit up and expect others to sort it out for us. Like how they fucked the Earth up and made fucking robots to clean it up. He wasn’t doing it for them, he was doing it for Eve.”

“The female model?”

“She was designed to retrieve a living sample from Earth to prove it was habitable again. Wall-E fell in love with her and knew she wanted it, so he found it to make her happy.”

“She ignored his feelings.”

“To begin with, yeah, but then she, like, deviated for him or whatever.” Gavin shrugged. “Hey… Can I ask something?”

“Go ahead.”

“Why did you deviate?” Gavin asked. “That night when I was at the pub with that other guy touching me up like a goddamn barbie; What made you deviate?”

“I-” Richard blinked. “Do you need anything?”

“Dick!”

“I can provide.” Richard winked. Gavin whacked him.

“You know I meant your name!” Gavin spat. “Stop avoiding me, why did you deviate?”

“Because I was afraid for your welfare.” Richard confessed. “I detected a high probability that you would either do something to harm yourself or be harmed by someone else in such an environment. I was uncomfortable with the command you gave me to leave you alone, and I… I realized I had a choice to go back, so I fought my programming.”

“So you fell in love with me like fucking Wall-E?” Gavin smirked.

“Yes.” 

“Fucking androids…”

“May I ask a question now?”

“Sure, whatever.”

“When did you realize you liked me back?” Richard asked.

“Jesus Christ… Um… A while before the pub thing, I guess.”

“Before?” Richard asked, his LED flickering yellow for a moment. “Not after?”

“Why do you think I was trying so hard to get you to fucking deviate, you twat!” Gavin whacked him again.

“Why  _ were  _ you trying to turn me deviant?”

“Because… Because consent is important to me, okay? And, like, you couldn’t say no to anything as an android. How was that fair, to be given all those rights and stuff but to be one of the few non-deviants who can’t say no? A-and if I’d ordered you to do stuff you’d have done it so it wouldn’t have been fair to try anything before you deviated…” Gavin muttered. 

“You… wanted me to have a say in our relationship?” Richard couldn’t help but smile, his LED flickering pink. Gavin looked up at him and rolled his eyes.

“Your fucking mood ring’s fucking pink again. Why does it keep doing that? Do you need a bulb replacing or something?”

“No, it is functioning perfectly.” Richard smiled, leaning down to kiss Gavin. Gavin moaned against him, nuzzling closer to him as the kiss ended.

“What’s it mean then?” Gavin muttered sleepily, his eyes drooping as he tried to focus on the tablet screen. 

“It means I am ‘in love’.” Richard whispered. “It means that I am unable to put into words the adoration and admiration I have for you in that moment.”

“Fucking shut up…” Gavin mumbled. “You’re making me look fucking soft…”

“Sometimes I wonder what colour your LED would be if you had one.” Richard whispered, turning back to the film. “You are difficult to ‘Reed’.”

“Fucking asshole.” Gavin muttered. Richard chuckled slightly as he felt Gavin surrendering to sleep, almost giving up completely. He gave a weak cough before whispering: “Love you or… whatever…” Richard glanced down at Gavin, his LED flashing pink as he tried to comprehend his emotions.

“I love you too.”


End file.
